Refrigerator repair in Fort Myers and Bonita Springs
Call before 11 AM and we aim to be there the same day.
The service call fee is waived when you go ahead with the repair.
Fort Myers area
Punta Gorda, Pine Island, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach
Bonita Springs and Naples area
Estero, Bonita Springs, North Naples, Naples, Marco Island
Refrigerator problems we fix
For each symptom: the parts that usually cause it, and what the technician checks and fixes at your home.
- Usual causes
- Cold air is made at the evaporator coil behind the freezer wall, and a fan blows it into the fresh-food section. When that fan stops, or the coil is buried in frost because the defrost system failed, the freezer stays cold and the fridge warms up.
- What the technician does
- We test the evaporator fan, the defrost heater, the defrost thermostat or sensor and the control that runs the defrost, then replace the part that failed. A coil packed with ice has to melt before the repair can be tested.
- Usual causes
- On most models the trouble sits in the machine compartment at the bottom back: a condenser fan that stopped, a coil clogged with dust and lint, a failed start relay or inverter board, or a compressor that tries to start and is cut off by its overload. That cut-off is the click you hear.
- What the technician does
- We measure the compressor and its start parts, test the condenser fan and clean the coil. A start relay is a small repair. A failed compressor or a refrigerant leak means sealed-system work, and you hear the price before it starts.
- Usual causes
- The main control board switches the compressor and the fans through relays. A burned relay, a failed board or a temperature sensor that reports the wrong reading keeps everything off while the light and the display still work.
- What the technician does
- We read the error code or run the service test built into the model, measure the sensors and the board outputs, and replace the board only when the readings point to it.
- Usual causes
- A frost-free refrigerator melts the frost off its evaporator at regular intervals with a heater. When the heater, the defrost thermostat or the sensor fails, frost keeps building until it blocks the air. Frost only around the door opening points to a gasket that does not seal.
- What the technician does
- We test the heater, the defrost thermostat or sensor and the timer or board that starts each defrost, clear the ice, then force a defrost cycle to confirm it works.
- Usual causes
- Defrost water runs down a drain tube to a pan under the refrigerator, where it evaporates. If the drain freezes or clogs, the water overflows inside the cabinet or onto the floor. A cracked water line, a loose fitting or a leaking filter housing on the ice and water supply does the same.
- What the technician does
- We clear and thaw the drain and find out why it froze, then check the inlet valve, the water lines and the filter housing for leaks.
- Usual causes
- The ice maker and the dispenser get water through an electric fill valve at the back of the cabinet. A failed valve, low water pressure, a clogged filter or a fill tube frozen shut stops the ice. A buzz with no water usually means the valve is powered but no water gets through.
- What the technician does
- We check the water pressure at the valve, test the valve coil, thaw the fill tube, and test the ice maker module and the dispenser controls.
- Usual causes
- Too much freezer air is getting in: an air damper stuck open, a temperature sensor reading warmer than the real temperature, or a control set too cold. Food pushed against the air vent can freeze even when everything works.
- What the technician does
- We check the damper and its motor, compare the sensor readings with a thermometer and test the control board.
- Usual causes
- Warm air is getting in or heat is not getting out: a gasket that no longer seals, a dusty condenser coil, a slow condenser fan, or a failed heater in the strip between French doors. A refrigerator in a hot garage also runs much longer than one in the kitchen.
- What the technician does
- We check the gasket all the way around and the door alignment, clean the coil, test the fans and the door strip heater, and measure the temperature in both sections.
- Usual causes
- A noise that stops when you open the freezer door usually comes from the evaporator fan, since many models stop that fan with the door open. A rattle at the bottom back is often the condenser fan or a loose drain pan. Water filling and cubes dropping from the ice maker are normal sounds.
- What the technician does
- We find which motor or part makes the noise and replace a worn fan motor before it stops and the refrigerator warms up.
Refrigerators in Southwest Florida
What the heat, the salt air and the way homes are used here do to a refrigerator.
Heat and humidity
June to September
Every time a door opens, warm, humid air comes in and leaves frost on the evaporator. In a Florida summer the defrost system works hard, so a failed heater or sensor shows up within days as a warm fresh-food section.
Garage refrigerators
May to October
A second refrigerator or freezer in the garage spends months in air well above 90°F. It runs far longer than the one in the kitchen and its coil collects dust faster, so condenser fans and start parts wear out sooner. The manual lists the room temperatures each model is built for.
Salt air on the islands
On Sanibel, Captiva, Fort Myers Beach, Pine Island and Marco Island, salt air corrodes condenser coils, fan motors and wire connections faster, most of all on units in garages and in outdoor kitchens on the lanai.
Homes closed for the summer
May to November
A refrigerator that stops in a house closed from May to November is found weeks later. Before you leave, either keep it running and ask someone to check on it, or empty it, switch it off and prop the doors open so mold cannot grow. Shut off the ice maker and the water valve either way.
Built-ins in Naples and on Marco Island
Kitchens there often have Sub-Zero, Thermador, Viking, Monogram or Miele built-ins. Many have the condenser at the top, and Sub-Zero built-ins run the fresh-food and freezer sections on two separate sealed systems, each with its own compressor, so the diagnosis starts in a different place than on a freestanding model.
Storms and power surges
June to November
After an outage or a nearby lightning strike, control boards and start relays are the parts most likely to be damaged. If the refrigerator does not restart when the power comes back, unplug it for five minutes and plug it in again before you call.
Refrigerator brands we repair
French-door, side-by-side, top and bottom freezer, counter-depth, column and under-counter models, built-in or freestanding.
High-end brands
High-end appliances: parts are covered by a 1-year warranty.
Everyday brands
3-month warranty on labor for all appliances except high-end.
- Café
Brand names and logos belong to their owners. SUNTECH is an independent repair service.
Safe checks before you call
They take a few minutes and need no tools. Some solve the problem, and the rest tell the technician where to start.
Power and the breaker
No light inside? Plug a lamp into the same outlet and look for a tripped breaker. Garage outlets are usually GFCI outlets with a reset button, and they can trip after a storm or in damp weather.
Temperature and demo mode
Make sure nobody turned the controls down: about 37°F in the fresh-food section and 0°F in the freezer is the usual target. If the light and display work but nothing gets cold, look in the manual for demo or showroom mode, which shuts off cooling.
Air vents
Move food away from the vents in the back wall of each section. A packed freezer, or a box against the vent, blocks the cold air the fresh-food section depends on.
Door seal
Close the door on a dollar bill at a few points around the edge. If the bill slides out with no drag, the gasket is not sealing there. Check that a drawer or a tall bottle is not holding the door open.
Condenser coil
Unplug the refrigerator first. On most freestanding models the coil is behind the grille at the bottom front or on the back; vacuum the dust and lint with a brush attachment. On many built-ins, Sub-Zero among them, it sits behind the grille at the top.
Water filter and supply valve
For slow water or no ice, replace a filter that is more than six months old and make sure the shut-off valve on the water line is fully open.
While you wait. Keep the doors closed. USDA guidance on how long food stays safe once a refrigerator stops cooling: about 4 hours in the fresh-food section, about 48 hours in a full freezer, about 24 in a half-full one. Throw out meat, fish, milk, eggs and leftovers that have been above 40°F for 2 hours or more.
Leave these to us
A burning smell, sparks, or a breaker that trips again after you reset it: unplug the refrigerator and call.
Ice on the evaporator coil: never chip it off with a knife or a screwdriver. One hole in the coil lets the refrigerant out and turns a defrost repair into a sealed-system repair.
An oily spot under the unit or a hiss from the back can be a refrigerant leak. That work takes gauges, a vacuum pump and a recovery machine.
Thawing a frozen drain or coil: unplug the unit, leave the doors open and put towels down. Keep heat guns and hair dryers away from the plastic liner.
Refrigerator repair questions
Is my refrigerator worth repairing?
In most cases, yes. A fan, a defrost part, a valve, a sensor, a gasket or a control board is an everyday repair. A failed compressor or a refrigerant leak is a larger job, and on built-in Sub-Zero, Thermador or Viking units, which cost far more to replace, it usually pays off. You hear the price after the diagnosis, before any work starts.
Should I unplug it before the technician comes?
Keep it plugged in with the doors closed unless it smells of burning, trips the breaker or leaks water across the floor. A running refrigerator shows the technician the fault; one that has been off for a day can hide it.
Do you repair ice makers and water dispensers?
Yes: ice makers in the freezer and in the door of French-door models, the fill valve, the water lines, the filter housing and the dispenser controls. If only the ice maker is out, the refrigerator is safe to use while you wait.
Can you repair a built-in refrigerator without pulling it out?
Most work on built-ins is done from the front, through the top or bottom grille: the condenser, the fans, the controls and the parts in the machine compartment. When a repair needs the unit slid out of its opening, we tell you in advance.
What should I tell you when I call?
The brand, the model number and what the refrigerator is doing. The model label is inside the fresh-food section, usually on a side wall, on the ceiling or behind the crisper drawers. If the display shows an error code, write it down too.
What does the service call cost?
We tell you the fee when you call. If you go ahead with the repair, the service call fee is waived.
What warranty do I get?
3 months on labor for all appliances except high-end. On high-end appliances, parts are covered for 1 year.
How can I pay?
Card, check or cash.
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Tell us the appliance, the brand and what it is doing.
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If it cannot wait
Call before 11 AM and we aim to be there the same day.
Fort Myers area
Bonita Springs and Naples area